Nerd Critic

Yes, she should have been nominated for Best Director. We'll talk all about it during our Oscars episode(s). But for now, can we please just lose our minds over how exquisite this adaptation is? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

This movie had NO RIGHT to be this good, but who are we to argue with all the joy? This was the Bad Boys movie we always wanted, the one Michael Bay probably thought he was making back in the 90s. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

It will make you cry unless you are dead. That should have been the logline for Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. CJ and Jordan are full grown men who are also very much not dead. You do the math. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

It's not much of a spoiler to tell you that NINE Oscar-nominated 1917 made it onto both CJ and Jordan's Top 10 of 2019. Yes, it was that good, and this was a fun episode to make. Not least because we had the privilege of attending a Q&A with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who gave us a lot more fuel to burn in our lively discussion. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

This week’s Off the Shelf episode covers one of the most significant movies to come out in 2019 that stars both Jack Black and Dwayne Johnson, AND is still in theaters. OK, the truth is we failed to publish it last month and would have felt bad if we never published it at all, so here you go. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Everyone else is doing it so we figured we might as well do it too. Here are our Top 10 movies of 2019! CJ and Jordan each made their own lists, and boy does it show -- especially at the end. Yes, that's us bating you to listen to the whole thing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Jordan went and crashed The Next Reel again for THEIR episode about The Rise of Skywalker, except THIS time, they gave us their whole episode to put here! On our very own feed! Enjoy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

This week marks the end of a saga that began more than 40 years ago, and influenced not only countless other movies, but also the very fabric of culture itself. The Rise of Skywalker turned out to be nearly as divisive as The Last Jedi, but for nearly opposite reasons. We need to talk about it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

We’ve been talking about doing an episode on The Last Jedi pretty much since we started this podcast. So now, after 18 months of hype, it’s finally here. And by “it,” we mostly mean a whole lot of Jordan mounting an impassioned defense of the movie against its many haters. Meanwhile, CJ continues to be strongly OK with the entire Star Wars franchise. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Our week of Star Wars has begun! We’re kicking it off with The Force Awakens, and guys -- it was even more fun than we thought it would be. This is going to be a good week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Ford v Ferrari is a movie that looks and feels like it was build by Ford in 1967. Is it the most thematically significant or narratively satisfying movie you’ll see this year? No. But it sure is a good time! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Every week, we bring you a deep dive into the biggest box office winners. But are they also the best films every weekend? Don't answer that. It's rhetorical. For our Off the Shelf episode this week, we wanted to share some of our favorites of 2019 that didn't win any weekends. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

While there’s a special pleasure in being surprised by how good a movie is, having our high expectations met is such a relief. Especially after a string of disappointments a in recent months. Thank you, Rian Johnson, for bringing it. As always. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Good Will Hunting came out in 1997, but it's still one of the most quoted movies ever. It was also the suggestion of CJ's dad, who joins us for this Thanksgiving-spirited episode. Come geek out with us about Matt Damon and impossibly good writing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Frozen II marks the next installment in a commandingly successful franchise, but it deserves a fair and balanced review, independent of that blinding context. Listen, it's really hard to write a description for an episode about this kind of movie. You try. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Rian Johnson is four and oh so far, and we don’t expect Knives Out to be his first miss. Join us for some fanboy coverage of this profoundly talented filmmaker’s enviable career. If you don’t love him as much as we do by the end of the episode, or you owe us twenty dollars. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

By now it is clear that Charlie's Angels did NOT win the weekend. Why? Well, we have some ideas. Also, we found ourselves deep in the rabbit hole of why so many movies are just plain OK these days, and some of crucial differences between mediocrity and greatness in storytelling. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Another historic moment for Nerd Critic -- a re-release! Don’t worry, there’s plenty of spankin’ new content in here, too, but we wanted to revisit our old conversation to help ourselves (and you, dear listener) prepare for Disney’s next billion dollar princess powerhouse. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

Once again, CJ and Jordan come to blows. But this time, we had a guest to feel embarrassed in front of. Sides were taken. Feelings were hurt. In spite of it all, Doctor Sleep was a fascinating study, and it was hard to stop talking when we ran out of time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com

If you've spent any time in the last four years NOT being impressed by Mad Max: Fury Road, then SHAME ON YOU. But don't worry, we'll help you get right again. Join us as we nerd out about what is probably the best action movie of the decade. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com